We use this form for activities or situations that were completed at a definite time. English esl past simple and past continuous worksheets most. The construction of a past continuous is similar to the present continuous tense, in that it has a past simple form of to be instead of a present simple form preceding the present participle. Ask students why we use the past continuous and past simple in these sentences.
The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected. Helen do her weekly shopping when she meet her old friend, june. I felt sick yesterday morning so i went to the doctor. The reading text is a conversation between two friends talking about their previous night activities. When we talk about two past events, the past continuous is normally used to refer to the longer background action. Divide the students into groups of four and give each student a card. Afterwards, write the main verb in the crossword and match the sentence with each picture. Fill each gap with a verb in either the past simple or past continuous tense. A collection of english esl past simple vs continuous tense worksheets for home learning, online practice, distance learning and english classes to teach about. Fill in the blanks with a correct form, the past simple or the past continuous. It is important to learn how to use the simple past and the past continuous.
Followup activity in open class ask students to talk about events that have been happening recently in the news. Heres another english grammar exercise about the past simple positive, negative and question. Past simple past continuous past perfect simple answers a 1. See more ideas about english grammar, english grammar worksheets and learn english. We were playing volleyball with mary when you called me. The above downloadable teaching material is best suited for elementary school at elementary a1 and. The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. Past simplepast continuous worksheets esl printables. May and might modals of probability must necessity numbers.
To make questions in the past continuous, put waswere before the subject and add the ing form of the verb. Irregular past simple tense verbs do not end in ed. Although both tenses speak about the past, they are used in different ways. I began to study at nine last night and i was still studying at eleven. Ask students to write their texts and tell them that they should focus on communicating their story clearly and on using the past simple and past continuous correctly. Elementary, preintermediate 5 out of 5, rated by 62 teachers found a mistake. Both of the tenses are implemented meaningfully in the conversation. In this challenging past continuous activity, students put a ghost story in order by saying and listening to sentences. The students read the past perfect continuous sentence half at the top of their card, e. Elissa and the mysterious stalker we can also combine the past continuous with the past simple. Innovative pdf giving advice esl activities, games, worksheets and lessons to help teach level students how to ask for and give advice. See also how to make the past continuous in the passive voice.
The negative question normally expresses a surprise. Past simple vs present perfect esl activities games rewarding pdf past simple vs. The following esl efl resources are available for past continuous grammar. Simple past english tenses and english grammar worksheets, grammar rules, grammar exercises. Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the past progressive tense of the verbs provided. Innovative pdf giving advice esl activities, games, worksheets and lessons to. Past simple and past continuous inspiration macmillan. But sometimes these two actions happen at the same time.
When the teacher came in, they were studying english. The shorter action happened while the longer action was still happening. Although they are both past tenses their uses are quite different. Past simple vs past continuous language on schools. Past continuous and past simple grammar beginner to pre.
Past continuous describes actions and states continued in the past period of time. Practice the past progressive or past continuous and past simple tenses, using this esl grammar interactive monkey fun game activity for preintermediate was working, was driving, was walking, etc. Students then write the story down in a group dictation. Heres a reading text in pdf format which covers past simple and past continuous tenses in a meaningful context.
Past progressive, past continuous, past simple, verb tenses. In this fun past perfect continuous teaching activity, students play a long sentence game where they write sentence halves using the past perfect continuous and past simple alternately. Past simple or past continuous exercise esl lounge student. Worksheet 2 past simple and past continuous 1 complete the sentences with the correct past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 1 grammarbank. One action past continuous is interrupted by another action past simple. We use this tense for activities or situations that were not completed. Test comprising exercises with present simlpe, present continuous. Learn when to use the past simple or the past continuous. Simple past vs past continuous exercises tolearnenglish.
Welcome to esl printables, the website where english language teachers exchange resources. Oct 04, 2017 fill in the blanks with an appropriate past tense form. Past continuous and past simple grammar principiante a. Past simple or simple past perfect english grammar. The simple past and the past continuous are two tenses commonly used to make general statements about the past. Past simple and past continuous interactive worksheets. Past continuous pdf esl games, activities, and interactive and printable worksheets for. Past continuous simple past tense, past tense, english. Past perfect continuous worksheets esl games activities. Divide the students into groups of 14 and give each student a sentence card.
The simple past tense is only used to say that something happened at some time in the past. Click here to download this exercise in pdf with answers. Students will read each strip and sequence the conversationstory in order. Divide the students into argentina and england fans. The past continuous refers to a longer background action or situation. Remember sometimes the continuous tenses are called the progressive tenses. The worksheet is suitable for both classroom practice and selfstudy. Finally, click here to download this exercise in pdf with answers. A collection of downloadable worksheets, exercises and activities to teach past simplepast continuous, shared by english language teachers. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 2 answers.
Discuss in pairs or whole class the argentina and england fans would have felt about the incident. So, itll be a good idea to elicit the uses of the two tenses. Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous forms of the verbs in brackets. Home page grammar exercises preintermediate past simple or past continuous exercise. As i was walking in the streets of holland, i met an old friend of mine. Before the exercise,there is a small tip about these thre. Past continuous students have different activities to practice past continuous affirmative, negative, questions. Did your parents call you last night while you were watching tv. I to eat was eating cornflakes while dad to read was reading the newspaper. Were you watching watch the football match on tv when. Christine was eating dinner last night when you knocked on the door. I to take took a shower, then i to get dressed got dressed and to leave left.
Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound e. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate past tense form. Past simple or past continuous worksheet 1 answers. Past continuous games esl activities worksheets teach this.
Past continuous level intermediate answer key note following the quiz, have your learners correct the wrong sentences see below. English esl past simple vs continuous tense worksheets. English esl past simple vs continuous tense worksheets most. You may want to ask them to choose a current event to talk about briefly in the next class and, depending on your curriculum and the interest of the students, you could get students to plan an article on a real news event in a. When jack dropped by to visit me, i was having dinner. The grammar focus is on the past continuous and past simple.
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